Cinedans, the festival for dance and film, was supposed to open 25 March and be the hub for dance film, as well as workshops and discussions, until 29 March. Obviously, that cannot go ahead. The festival will not be postponed but cancelled this year.
An alternative that should ease the pain a little for this year is a nice and varied selection of short and mid-length films shown during the festival period on cinedans.co.uk. New short films come online every festival day and can be seen until 30 March. It's definitely worth checking what's on every day. We highlight 2 highlights.
Highlights of the festival do include
Kicking off Wednesday is with The Great Ghosts by Yoann Bourgeois and and Louise Narboni. A study in gravity with Foucault's pendulum at the Pantheon in Paris. The films is of breathtaking beauty. Choreography, location and Schubert's music are perfectly matched. In the opening credits, the phrase occurs: "The world can't ever stop from living." That took some swallowing, in these harsh times. Searching for balance and boundaries, relating to the earth suddenly took on a whole new connotation.
Of an entirely different order is Clowns by Hofesh Shechter. As a performance, it premiered at NDT in 2016 and was one of the best things I saw that year. Sharp, committed, mesmerising and with a hypnotic score that resonated in my ears for a long time. The show is about craziness and entertainment. The show must go on, but at what cost? And is it possible to translate that dynamic into a film? Well if your name is Shechter, it turns out. Kudos to the lighting designer who is largely responsible for keeping the magic alive.
From surprises to demolition materials
Besides these two must-sees, there is plenty more going on at the website. Every day, surprise films can be seen. But also the short film by ROC-Amsterdam dance students. Under the guidance of the Cinedans LAB (education and research) teachers, they made five films themselves, from concert to editing. Works from previous collaborations will also be on show on the web.
Mobile Choreography is an experimental work recorded and played back simultaneously with multiple smartphones.
Workshops have all been cancelled, including those by festival dramaturge Nienke Rooijakkers and composer Han Otten. As a consolation, however, his film Car Men, an adaptation of Bizet's opera with guts, can be seen. And demolition material. Choreography is in the hands of Jiri Kylian.
Co-productions with Eye do go ahead - someday. Black Light Dance will be held at a time to be determined later: a demo lecture by Nita Liem with dance researcher Funmi Adewole. The online programme of the genius NEST collection from Nairobi will also be on show then.
One Day Pina Asked by Chantal Akerman will still be screened when the exhibition on Akerman opens. Due to considerable uncertainty, no dates are yet known.
Good to knowFor the delayed programme: check cinedans.co.uk or eyefilm.co.uk
Cinedans 2021 will be held from 24 - 28 March at Eye in Amsterdam.
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